Remote employee productivity is not always an easily measurable metric. Finding the proper balance between accountability and allowing the employee creative freedom can be difficult. Learn how we at Integris are using tools and techniques to hold our staff accountable while measuring their productivity.
Integris has been enabling remote work for clients for a long time, and we have a few tips for the best ways for you to improve and measure remote employee productivity.
Daily Morning Huddle
It’s important to connect daily. Integris has daily recurring meetings known as daily huddles. For us, these meetings take place at 8 AM every morning via Zoom meetings.
This is your chance to connect face-to-face with your teams and share the game plan for the day. Each employee discusses what they are working on for the day, so the entire team Is aware of what the other members are working on.
It’s also a chance for employees to talk through any tasks they are stuck on and reach out to the team for clarification and help.
These daily meetings are rapid fire and short, lasting about 15 minutes each morning. Avoid letting one team member monopolize these huddles with specific individual issues that are unrelated to ongoing tasks.
Collaborative Team Meetings
Once a week, you should touch base with your employees and track progress on projects. At Integris, we love Traction Tools and use the Level 10 feature to organize these meetings.
Your collaborative meeting should follow a distinct flow. Level 10 organizes the meeting down to the minute:
The first half hour of the Level 10 includes:
- Updates to an ongoing metric scorecard to measure productivity
- Discussing current projects and make sure they are on track
After that, an hour is dedicated to discussing any issues with projects and any areas your team is stuck on. This is the place to discuss projects and tasks in-depth. Each team member is given the chance to update the team on the overall progress of tasks and projects they are involved in, but again, this is not the place for employees to discuss issues unrelated to ongoing issues and tasks.
One-on-Ones
Each week, you should set aside an hour for each employee and have a personal one-on-one with them. This is the meeting where employees can discuss their own personal issues, things they are having issues with, and topics unrelated to ongoing larger projects.
Integris loves 15Five, an application that allows both the employee and the supervisor to track productivity and progress.
15Five has a section dedicated to one-on-ones. Both you and your employee can add “action items” and priorities for the following week, and cover items from the week prior. It’s the perfect platform for letting your employees know if they are on track, and the perfect place for you to measure progress.
Meetings, Meetings, and Meetings About Meetings
Meetings can be a real productivity-killer in several ways:
- Employees will take longer to re-focus on tasks after meetings
- Employees may not be productive before the meeting
- Meetings are directly taking the employee away from tasks
Still, meetings are a part of office life, and an even more important part of remote work as well.
Some tips to get the most out of your meetings include:
Keep them short: Remember that every minute spent in a meeting is time spent away from more productive work.
Keep meetings focused: Have an agenda and do not stray from it. Keep meetings focused on the topic at hand, solving issues, and presenting information the entire group needs.
Use one-on-ones: Remember to use one-on-ones to focus your attention on specific team members.
Determine if the meeting is necessary and productive: “Too many meetings, not enough doing” is a complaint amongst employees. Before you schedule a meeting, ask yourself if the content of the meeting must be presented in a meeting format, or in another way such as Teams chat or email.
Some meetings are crucial for employees to know they are working on the right things, and to make sure you know what they are working on. This way, you stay connected and on track.
If you find that too many meetings are reducing productivity, however, you may need to reassess their value.
Need More Tips on Staying Productive with a Remote Workforce?
Integris is your definitive partner in bringing you the resources, tips, offers and information you need to keep your remote workforce connected and productive.
For more tips, visit https://iconicit.com.
